Woman admits stealing from PAVE

BENNINGTON — A Pownal woman pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling from donors to the Project Against Violent Encounters last year.

Deborah A. Stanlewicz, 45, of Pownal, had been working for PAVE as a transitional housing advocate and her responsibilities included soliciting donations for PAVE clients.

In June, PAVE’s director contacted police and said she believed Stanlewicz was contacting donors and asking for money for clients who didn’t exist or no longer worked with PAVE. Police said they believed that the donors would be asked to write checks to specific banks which Stanlewicz would arranged to have picked up instead of sent.

In an affidavit, police said the loss to donors was about $22,000.

Stanlewicz was arraigned in Bennington criminal court on a felony charge of embezzlement in October. On Monday, she pleaded guilty to the charge but wasn’t sentenced.

There is no agreement between the state and Stanlewicz about the length of the sentence or restitution. The Vermont Department of Corrections has been ordered to conduct a pre-sentence investigation of Stanlewicz.